


It's All Out Of Our Control

by Just_doing_this_for_fun



Category: Dynasty (TV 2017)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, falliam
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23964181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_doing_this_for_fun/pseuds/Just_doing_this_for_fun
Summary: What happens when Fallon is attacked one night whilst working at the office.
Relationships: Fallon Carrington/Liam Ridley
Comments: 13
Kudos: 106





	1. Chapter 1: Let's Start at the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, this is my first Dynasty fic, please let me know any comments you have.

Fallon was working late, as normal when the year end was coming up, there was so much to do for the business, on top of trying to get all the latest podcasts and articles out. Most of the other staff had gone home for the night, leaving Fallon with only the cleaning staff, who were mostly just emptying the bins. She was almost done for the night, all that was left on her list to do was file the last article for this month’s issue and put in for the end of year bonuses for all the staff. Sighing to herself before clicking send on the article she lent back in her chair for a moment, squeezing her eyes shut to enable them to focus better on the screen to finish sorting the bonuses, drive home, get into bed and more importantly Liam’s arms. It was exactly then she felt it, the presence in her the office, shaking it off as one of the cleaners going home for the night or doing something just outside her office, she sat back up straight continued working. Until she felt the presence again, this time it was more pressing, she was just about to reach for the gun she kept in her desk draw just in case when it happened.

“Keep still, keep quite and don’t struggle you’ll only make things worse,” her instinct was to scream as her head was yanked back by her hair and a cold, hard blade was pressed against her throat, but all that came out was a whimper. 

“Now you are going to lead us to the safe, open it and let us take whatever we want and you wont be harmed, fight us and you don’t want to know what we can and will do to you,” the voice hissed at her.

“Okay, I’ll do it but it’s a little hard to move like this” as she spoke the words she felt the knife move away from her neck slightly and the hand holding her hair pulled her up out of the seat.

“Lead the way then,” Fallon started to walk slowly over to where the office safe is kept, trying to think of how she was going to get out of this situation, unharmed and with her money and business intact. Luckily, they didn’t keep much in the way of cash in the safe but all the paperwork for the business, if they had that who knows if it would be able to survive. As they reached the safe Fallon bent down and inputted the key code and pressed her fingerprint against the reader, as the safe door swung open, she felt herself being pulled back up to standing and the knife pressed back to her throat. This was going to be harder to get out of than she thought.

“Now you’re going to stay here, not move let us take anything we want and leave, the police will not be called or you will regret it,” the pressure on her throat was removed and hair let go as the unknown man started to move round her office taking whatever took his fancy. Using his distraction to start to slowly move towards her phone, once she reached the desk, where her phone was, she tried to subtly use speed dial to call someone, anyone, but accidentally knocked it onto the floor causing the man to look up and realise what she was doing.

“What do you think you’re doing, bitch,” he called as he walked towards her. The next thing she saw was a baseball bat flying towards her body, with no time to protect herself it collided with her rib cage and knocked her to the floor. The anger never left the man’s eyes, as blow after blow was delivered, Fallon tried to crawl away or protect herself, but nothing could be done, she couldn’t get away. Screams found their way out of her mouth before slowly quietening to whimpers as strength left her body. That was the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness. 

Liam knew how stressed Fallon had been trying to get everything together so that she could take a few days off for the holiday season, so they could spend a few days relaxing, and celebrating Christmas with their family. He appreciated that she was finally willing to take some proper time off and let her employees handle everything but wished she did not work herself quite so hard to accomplish it. As she had been getting home around eleven every night, they had got into a routine, he got her pyjamas out, and made her a sandwich as he knew she had been surviving off coffee most days, except when he was able to go in and drop off lunch for her. He was just walking back to their bedroom to get into his own pyjamas and wait for her when he heard the door open, he must have his time slightly wrong or she managed to get out the office a little earlier. However, what he saw made him drop the plate in shock…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, I don't have a beta so all mistakes are my own. That being said if anyone is interested in becoming a beta or working on this story with me I am open to it. Let me know if you have any thoughts on what's happened so far, I have the next chapter written but isn't edited so hopefully I will get it up soon, it is longer than this one too.


	2. Chapter 2: Is She Okay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2 for you guys, thank you so much for the positive response to the first chapter, it means a lot to know there are people who enjoyed what I wrote. Enjoy chapter 2 and hopefully I'll be back in a few days with chapter 3 :).

Pain was the first thing she could register, a pounding in her head that seemed to radiate all over her body. Blinking slowly trying to let her eyes readjust she could see the state of her office, everything was smashed up but her only thought was she needed help. Gently sitting up, which was hard as her vision came and went out of focused and her head swam, not to mention the pain that intensified, to start looking for her phone she saw it smashed beyond repair on the floor. Thank god they installed landlines but looking over at the desk she saw that had been broken as well. Her only option was to go get the help herself. Pulling her heals off her feet, knowing better to attempt to walk in them in her current state, she located her car keys and made her way to the office parking lot. Driving was no more a smart idea than walking in heals but what other choice did she have, no one was left in the office and with it being late at night in the holiday season most people were at home spending time with their families. The journey home was a blur of trying to keep herself calm, not crashing her car, pain and trying to mentally assess her injuries. How did this happen, why was she targeted? After what seemed like an age she made it back to the manor, stopped the car and stumbled up to the front door struggling to push it open, internally she was praying someone was near-by, as what little strength, mostly from adrenaline was making its way out of her body. The first thing she heard was a crash, as she looked up, she could see Liam running towards her.

“Fallon, what happened? Are you okay? How did you get here? What can I do? You need to go to hospital.” 

The series of questions left Liam’s mouth as he ran towards her quickly embracing a body causing a pained whimpered to leave Fallon’s mouth as she leaned her weight into him. Carefully lowering them to the ground and pulling her body to her chest trying to be as gentle as possible, causing yet more pained sounds to leave her body Liam started to think straight. 

“Blake, Anders, anyone call an ambulance its Fallon!” He shouted hoping someone in the house would hear and be able to help them.

“Liam it hurts, I tried but I couldn’t fight him, he was too strong,” Fallon whispered causing Liam to worry more, it took a lot for Fallon to admit to any weakness and yet here she was openly letting him to see her pain.

“What’s going on? What do you mean call an ambulance its Fallon she was,” Blake stopped mid-sentence when he saw the scene on the floor; running over whilst taking his phone out and dialling 911.

“I don’t know Blake, she just came through the door like this,” Liam tried to explain to Blake what was going on even though he did not really know himself.

“Daddy,” Fallon whispered reaching her hand out to him, Blake took it in the hand that was not holding his phone.

“I’m here baby girl,” he answered before turning his attention to the operator who had answered his call, he gave them any details he could and the address pleading with them to be as quick as they could. By now there was a crowd of staff and household members starting to gather, unsure of whether they should approach the trio on the floor or let the two men handle it.

“I’m tired,” Fallon once again spoke bringing Blake’s attention back to her, it was clear that it was becoming harder and harder for her to fight the darkness trying to pull her in.

“Fallon baby, you need to try stay awake, here focus on me, focus on my words,” Liam replied starting to formulate a story, anything to try keep her awake until the paramedics got here. It worked until Sam and Kirby appeared running over to their friend, with Sam reaching out to sooth Fallon by playing with her hair, an action that she normally found calming but right now caused her to hiss in pain. Sam instantly withdrew his hand.

“Fallon what happened?” Kirby asked in confusion, last she knew Fallon was just finishing up at the office, having not long called her to ask advice on an event she was organising for Fallon Unlimited at La Mirage.

“He, he came from nowhere, I tried to call and then it happened,” Fallon tried her best to explain herself but as she thought back to the events that had transpired it caused her to panic. As a result of the panic she tried to get closer to Liam causing more pain, it took both Blake and Liam to calm her back down and get her into a more comfortable position. It all proved to be too much for her body though as she slipped into unconsciousness just as the sirens could start to be heard in the distance. The paramedics came rushing into the house ordering people to move away from Fallon so they could assess her injuries and get her to the hospital. After what seemed like an age, they placed her in a neck brace, loaded her up onto the stretcher and started to move towards the front door.

“Only one of you can travel with us, the rest will have to meet us at the hospital,” one of the paramedics spoke, instantly both Liam and Blake made their way to follow, it only took Blake one look at Liam’s face before he waved his hand gesturing that Liam should be the one to ride with her. As soon as Liam was out the door there was a flurry of activity as everyone tried to grab car keys or shoes ready to get to the hospital as quickly as possible.

“Family of Fallon Carrington?” A doctor called after stepping into the waiting room, instantly six heads turned to face him and stood up. “If you would please follow me.” He continued before turning to lead them to Fallon’s room. It took all of Liam’s strength not to run into the room when he saw on the bed hooked up to countless machines. She looked so small and fragile with the bruises now being more evident after they have had the time to really settle into her skin.

“Doctor what’s going on, is she okay?” Blake was the first to speak up and turn his head away from where his daughter lay in the room.

“Fallon has been incredibly lucky from what we can tell, there are no major physical injuries that the scans have shown, she has quite a serious concussion, some broken and some bruised ribs which are going to take a while to heal. There was only very minor internal bleeding which should sort itself out over the next few hours so at the moment there is no need to operate. However, we won’t know everything until she wakes up, she will be in a lot of pain for the next few weeks probably but also most likely there will an emotional fall out as a result. She will need to stay in hospital for at least the next few days, depending on when she wakes up. I encourage only family and close friends to visit right now, we don’t want to overwhelm her once she wakes up,” the doctor explained to them all before opening the door to her room. 

Liam was the first to enter, closely followed by Blake who both took one of her hands as they made sure for themselves that she was indeed alive and breathing. The doctor left them to their own devices and to wrap their head around what they had been told with a promise the nurse would be in soon to check on Fallon. Gradually, they all found their positions in the room, Liam sat next to Fallon holding her hand in both of his, Blake taking her other hand in one of his the other one holdings Cristal’s who stood behind him with her hand on his shoulder. Sam, Kirby, and Anders all sat on the couch, no one spoke or moved, all half expecting Fallon to just wake up annoyed that she is going to be behind at work. It was only when the doctor came back in kicking everyone but Liam, who refused to leave, out that anyone moved.

“We’ll bring you both some clothes and food in the morning,” Blake promised with a squeeze of Liam’s shoulder before following the rest of his family out of the room and home. Only then did Liam start to cry, the events of the day finally catching up to him. He did not remember falling asleep until the nurse coming in to take Fallon’s vitals startled him awake. With a quick apology for waking him up he was quickly left alone with his fiancé again. 

Hours passed by with no change until the sun was just starting to rise in the distance, causing a slight warmth to enter the otherwise chilly hospital. Liam was lost in thought when he felt it, a hand squeezing his back, jumping up and searching Fallon’s face for any signs of life he thought he must of imagined it as her face remained as still and peaceful as before. Just as his hope faded her eyes flickered open, causing his lips to curl upwards in a smile.

“Liam,” Fallon tried to speak but it came out as nothing more than a scratchy whisper.

“Shhhh, don’t try to talk yet, I’m here you’re safe, it’s going to be alright,” he spoke with a confidence he did not know was within him. Things were going to be alright; they would get through this eventually. He pressed the call button to get a nurse or doctor in, all he wanted was for her to be okay and curl up on the bed with her but he knew that she needed to be checked by a doctor first, his own experience of being in the hospital being brought to mind. 

The nurse came in and paged the doctor seeing Fallon was okay. Throughout the entire exam she kept and iron grip on his hand, somehow pulling the strength she needed from him. Once the doctor had gone, she slowly pushed herself to the side of the bed opposite to where Liam was standing and patted the space, she had created indicating for him to crawl up onto the bed next to her. He did so, toeing his shoes off in the process and as gently as possible pulling her against him, needing to be close to her as much as she needed to be close to him.

“How are you feeling Fal?” Liam asked again running his arm up and down her arm lightly.

“I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, but I’m okay as long as you’re here,” she replied turning to look him in the eye for the first time, she could tell just by the way he was looking at here that it wasn’t enough so she took a small breath and continued. “My head and chest hurt a lot but everything else is a dull ache, I really am okay Liam, you don’t need to worry so much.”

Liam seemed to be okay with her answer, his response was to kiss the top of her head and pull her further into his side. They could let the family know she was awake later, for now he just wanted to be able to hold her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any mistakes are my own as there is no beta for this story. Any thoughts you have feel free to leave comments or message me. Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3: Police Interview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter hop you guys enjoy it. No beta so all mistakes are my own.

The doctors insisted on keeping Fallon in hospital for three days before finally letting her go home with the promise that she would not work and would keep resting letting her body recover. Even though she was itching to get back to work, or at least make sure the company was running smoothly the persistent headache she had that was only made worse by looking at screens or any bright like was enough to keep her away. Not to mention she still could not stand up without feeling nauseas or dizzy, the combination of everything had made Fallon decide she really didn’t like concussions, but then again who did really.

Her stay in hospital had been very boring for the most part, Liam had been with her the majority of the time and when he wasn’t there another family member or friend had dropped by, so she was never alone but it wasn’t like she was physically in a state to do much of anything. Liam had read books to her, Blake and Crystal had been good at keeping her mind of everything, Sammy Jo and Kirby were good for gossip, but nothing could relieve the tightness in her chest that had been present ever since she had properly woken up in the hospital. It only seemed to get worse whenever she had to speak to anyone about the incident. The police had come round the day after the event, the memory was not a fond one for anyone.

* * *

_The morning so far had been a relaxed one, with everyone sitting around her room chatting trying to take their mind off everything that had transpired the night before, it was nice it enabled Fallon to relax in Liam arms and took her mind off her pain. That stuck until the two policemen walked into the room and cleared their throat drawing the attention of the room towards them._

_“We’re here to talk about the robbery and attack that happened at the office of Fallon Unlimited, is Mrs Fallon Morrell Carrington-Ridley here to answer some questions?” One of the policemen said looking directly at Fallon, obviously just asking as a courtesy._

_“She is but I don’t think now is the time to speak to her, she just woke up and is still recovering, I’m sure your report reflects the injuries she has sustained,” Blake spoke up not wanting his daughter to have to go through reliving her attack so soon after it happened._

_“It’s okay Dad I can do this, the police need to get on with their investigation, the sooner they are able to do that the sooner this will all be over,” Fallon defended herself, not wanting to have reminders of the event dragging into what she hoped would be a relaxed family holiday season. “Is it alright if my husband stays with me during the questions? I’m still a little shaken, and he helps to keep me calm, he won’t speak just be here silent,” She continued not feeling ready to be left alone with strangers so soon._

_“Of course, if everyone else could please leave the room for the time being, we won’t be long,” The other policeman said, both moving out of the way of the door to let everyone exit the room before shutting the door. The first few questions were easy for her to answer, but as they started to get more into what happened a tightness started to form in Fallon’s chest. As she continued to answer the questions the tightness grew, she could not help but start to claw at her chest slightly trying to relieve the pressure. Liam slowly pulled her closer running his hand up and down her arm trying to calm Fallon down but none of it was working._

_“Can we stop please, I know I said I could do this, but I can’t breathe,” Fallon asked feeling herself getting more worked up as time went on._

_“Please Mrs Ridley, we only have a few more questions, if you could just continue, what was the last thing you remember?” The policeman who was asking the questions kept pushing, asking again when Fallon looked at Liam, panic clear in her eyes, instead of answering the question. It was clear to Liam that his wife was not okay. He had only seen this look on her face a few times, and knew that he needed to control the situation before it got out of hand, if it hadn’t already got to that point._

_“My wife asked you stop and leave, I think that’s just what you should do, we will contact you when she is ready to answer more of your questions, for now you have enough to start your investigation,” Liam spoke forcefully before turning his attention to his wife who was now shaking in his arms. “Fal, Fal, Fallon, baby please look at me, it’s okay I’m here, you’re safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”_

_It was enough to get her to turn into him, seeking any form of comfort or safety, but still she couldn’t seem to calm down. With every breath that didn’t quite fully make its way into her lungs she became more panicked before the shaking was uncontrollable and it was clear she was hyperventilating. Seeing the policemen leave the room and hearing Liam obviously trying to calm Fallon down the rest of the group made their way back into the room. Instantly everyone started to play their role in trying to calm Fallon down, eventually it was a nurse coming in and administering a sedative that meant Fallon’s breathing eventually returned back to normal._

* * *

But other than that Fallon was bored, she could not wait to be home where she could relax and least understand some of what was going on with her company. It also means that she wouldn’t constantly have nurses coming in to check on her disrupting her sleep, or time alone with her husband. All that was needed for her to be released now was 24 hours off of IV pain medication, she was already at 20 hours so was hopefully she would get let out later that day. She was still on enough pain medication that she wasn’t in that much pain but mentally it made her tired and drowsy for a lot of the day. As soon as she was home she could start to wean herself off them which would help her mental state, but for now it was just her and Liam in the hospital room so she shifted over in the bed patting the space she made indicating he should join her.

“You getting lonely up there again?” He said moving from the chair he was sat reading in over to the bed, where he laid down on his back putting his arm around her shoulders.

“I’m just sleepy and kinda cold, you make a comfortable pillow and hot water bottle,” Fallon replied snuggling in to Liam’s chest and closing her eyes, at least if she took a nap the time when she could go home was getting closer. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep, feeling perfectly relaxed in Liam’s arms.

Somehow Fallon managed to sleep for 4 hours and was woken by Liam whispering in her ear and move his hand up and down her arm. As she came to again, she stretched slowly before groaning slightly in pain. Her nap had left her feeling more refreshed, but it had meant she had gone longer than normal without her pain medication. Looking round the room she could see a doctor standing talking with Blake and her bags packed, instantly a smile worked itself onto her face, she was finally getting discharged, she could go home.

“So, am I getting out of here then?” Fallon asked, her voice hopeful but preparing to be told that she was not ready to be released yet.

“Yes, the discharge papers have been signed and your Dad has collected your prescriptions and instructions of when to the take them, it’s important that you stick to the medication plan else you will be in a lot of pain. A private therapist has been scheduled to drop by your house in a few days then twice weekly after that, those sessions will stop once she feels you are ready.” The doctor told Fallon before pulling a wheelchair into the room. “It’s hospital policy that you use a wheelchair to leave, if you could return it once you’re settled in the car, other than that you’re free to leave,” He continued, wishing the family well before leaving them alone to leave.

“If you think for one second Fallon Carrington is being wheeled out of a hospital in sweats and a wheelchair, no, no way, I’ll walk,” Fallon protested before pushing herself to a standing position, ready to walk out. All she needed to do was locate her shoes and put them on, that was easier said than done, within 10 seconds of being stood upright the familiar dizziness once again swept over her. The same thing had been happening every time she had stood up since the accident, doctors said this was common due to the concussion, but was something Fallon decided she could really do without. She would have stumbled and potentially fallen over if Blake hadn’t been there to grab her arm and steady her.

“And this is why you are, Fallon you aren’t supposed to be up and about yet, the walk to the front door isn’t short from here, there is no way you would make it all the way without passing out,” Blake said leading Fallon over to the couch and pushing her gently to sit on it before bending down to help put her shoes on.

“The car is waiting by the entrance, you won’t be out in the public for very long, I’ll even carry you from the entrance to the car if that would make you feel better,” Liam continued Blake’s argument, knowing that Fallon was worried about the public images, they had kept her sheltered from the press coverage so far but he knew that would end as soon they got her home.

“Okay but only because you’re right, I couldn’t walk the distance,” Fallon caved in still feeling the effect of the small time she had been standing up. Once Blake had finished putting her shoes on for her, he helped her to stand and lower herself into the wheelchair. The movement proved to be a bit much for Fallon whose face scrunched up in pain.

“Do you want some of meds Fal? Its been a while and the journey home may not be the easiest without them,” Liam asked her pulling the orange pill bottle out of her bag, his only response was the shaking of her head, like always Fallon had decided it would be better to keep her mind sharp even if she was in pain, she hated how they made her mind foggy. “Okay let’s get out of here then, your carriage awaits my princess.” Liam pocketed her pills and took the handles of the wheelchair whilst Blake grabbed the bags.

As they reached the entrance to the hospital Liam stopped the wheelchair and put the brakes on, being good to his word he reached down and picked Fallon up as gently as he could, though he could feel her whole body tensing with pain. He gave her a minute to get as comfortable as possible before continuing to the car that was parked out front. Their driver was waiting with the back door to the car open ready, just like every other day the press was outside the hospital trying to get a comment from one of the family on the event, as carefully as he could Liam placed Fallon on the back seat. Once again her face contorted in pain and even she couldn’t hold in the groan of pain that came out of her mouth. Liam quickly put her seatbelt on as Blake placed the bags in the boot before moving to the front seat, once the seatbelt was secure Liam walked round to sit in the back next to his wife.

“Fallon please take some of you pain medication, admitting to being in pain doesn’t make you weak, its meant to make you feel better and aid your recovery, at the very least it will help you sleep comfortably.” Liam tried to persuade her, once again he got no verbal response to his request but instead, she just nodded, holding out her hand for the pills. She placed the pills into her mouth looking around for some water, as normal her husband was one step ahead of her and held out a bottle of water for her to use. Taking it back from her after she had taken a few sips he put the lid back on and water in footwell, he quickly moved to the seat next to Fallon allowing her to cuddle into his chest. Something was up, she had been happy when she found out she was being released but as soon as they actually started to leave she became quiet and withdrew into herself, he had seen this before, it was a defence mechanism Fallon used when she didn’t want people to know what was bothering her. He was worried but knew she would open up to him in her own time, for now at least she was safe in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. As always let me know your thoughts, I welcome any response you guys have. Feel free to comment or inbox me. Thanks for reading :)


	4. Chapter 4: Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallon struggles mentally after everything that happened.

By the time they got back to the manor, Fallon was once again sleepy from the pain medication. Liam got out the car and carried her back inside, taking her directly to their room. Blake followed behind with the bags then told the rest of the family to give them some space for now, to let them get settled before bombarding Fallon with visitors. The pain was much more manageable for Fallon now that the medication was back in her system, so moving from the car to the bedroom was much smoother and though there was definitely pain present, it was no way near as bad. Once Fallon was fully settled, propped up against her pillows in bed, Liam started to move around the room and pull some clean, comfier clothes out for himself so he could join her - but not before shower.

“Wait where are you going?” Fallon quietly asked as she saw Liam was leaving the room. She thought they were going to spend some time in bed, listen to some music or a podcast or something to pass the time before dinner.

“Just for a quick shower, you might have been able to whilst at the hospital but all I’ve had is baths in the sink, I’ll be back before you even know I’m gone,” Liam answered, moving to give Fallon a quick kiss before leaving her even for a quick minute, “Do you want music or something on while I’m gone?” He continued, once again Fallon chose not to speak and shook her head in reply; if he wasn’t going to be long, she wouldn’t need the entertainment.

The shower felt nice on his skin. As much as he didn’t mind staying in the hospital, in fact there wasn’t anywhere else he would have wanted to be, he did miss showering. The nurses helped Fallon shower whilst she was there, but he was reluctant to leave her in the unfamiliar environment, especially as she often had her hand tangled in his shirt or clutching his own hand, like if she let go something would happen. Even though he knew Fallon was comfortable back in her own bed he still didn’t want to be away from her for long. It only took him five minutes to shower and get dressed, his heart melted at what he saw when he walked back into the bedroom: Fallon had pulled one of his pillows against her and was clutching it as she slept. He knew the pills she had taken made her really sleepy and was happy she was at least finally getting some proper rest. Seeing as she was resting peacefully, Liam decided now would be a good time to unpack their bags, so he moved round to their wardrobe and started putting the dirty clothes in the hamper and everything else where it belonged.

Once all the unpacking was finished - it didn’t take too long as even Fallon couldn’t accumulate too much stuff in a hospital room - he picked up the book he was halfway through and joined Fallon in their bed, making sure to not disturb her as he got comfy. It was a nice but a slightly weird change that he didn’t have any spoilers for this book, he had started it in the hospital and as Fallon hadn’t been able to get to it to read the last page and tell him what happened there had been no one to spoil it for him. At some point Fallon had moved to rest her head on his chest, and he let her get comfortable before wrapping his arm around her and going back to his book. This was the sort of time he really cherished before the incident. He loved just being able to spend time with his wife, even if she was asleep. Most of the time when they were like this the TV was on or they were talking but still the quiet moments, they were the ones that he really loved. When he got to see the true Fallon, the woman behind the fierce businesswoman façade she put up.

“No, no, please stop please,” Fallon started to murmur in her sleep.

As soon as the first sound was out of her mouth Liam put his book down and turned his full attention to his wife. Slowly, to not startle her he tried to wake her up, running his hand up and down her arm and whispering in her ear, something that normally would bring her out of any sleep no matter how deep.

“Get off me, please! Take anything just please stop.” Her speech continued increasing in volume; she was no longer quietly curled against Liam’s side. She was doing anything to try get away from his grip, her subconscious obviously thinking he was part of the dream she was having. Her movements became more and more frantic before something startled her awake. Sitting up in bed her unfocused eyes desperately looked round the room trying to figure out where she was and going on, her breaths shallow and uneven.

“Fal?” Liam’s soft voice made her whip her head round, the sudden movement making her wince slightly. Her eyes found his and she scrambled to get back to him, needing his support. Carefully he pulled her as close as he could letting her clutch at his shirt tears now pouring from her eyes.

Whatever had happened in her dream had majorly spooked her. It took nearly half an hour before her breath had fully evened out and her grip on his shirt had loosened, and by that time he had no feeling in his legs, but he didn’t care. His wife was his main priority.

“Fallon, what happened? Speak to me,” he asked, keeping her close to him. He was worried about what was going on in her mind. He’d seen her have panic attacks, he had seen her upset, but nothing that was this bad.

“I was back there that night, he was there, and I couldn’t stop him, it was so much worse, I couldn’t do anything. Whenever I fall asleep his face is there. I keep reliving it, Liam,” She whispered in reply, almost like if she spoke any louder he really would be there in the room with them and she would be back there. Nothing that had happened to her before had made her feel so powerless. Something about that night had really got to her.

“He’s not going to be able to get to you here. Your dad has extra security around the manor, and you have so many people that will never be more than a scream away.” Liam tried to reason with her, but he knew that her mind wasn’t thinking logically at the moment.

“I know that, I know I am safe but I’m scared Liam, every time I move the pain is a reminder, but when I take those damn pills they fog my mind and I can’t form a logical thought. I feel like he’s still somehow watching us,” she continued to explain refusing to move her face from where it was buried in his chest. His smell helped her know what was real and was not right now.

“I understand Fallon, I really do, anything you want or need I’m here. Hopefully when you see the therapist she will start to enable you to distinguish between what’s real and what’s not. In the meantime I won’t pressure you into taking the pills you’ve been prescribed if you feel like that’s not going to help, but please take some aspirin or Tylenol to help with the pain,” Liam said, using his fingers to gently tilt her chin upwards so he could see her face. He thumbs brushed just below her eyes, which were bloodshot from crying and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.

“Thank you,” she whispered before leaning up to capture his lips in a soft kiss.

“Why don’t I read to you? You can pick the book,” Liam offered, smiling down at her. Fallon nodded in response moving so he could move off the bed to get a book.

“Could we read _Harry Potter_?” Fallon requested. It was a new guilty pleasure of hers, she loved the way it enabled her to be transported to a completely new place. She had read the series before, but only now appreciated what it could do for her. Liam’s response was to move over to the bookshelf and pick up their slightly battered copy of _The Prisoner of Azkaban_. Not only was it her favourite but it was also where they were up to in the series. When he sat back in the bed Fallon let him get settled before moving to rest against him once more. He was her comfort blanket and as much as she wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, she needed him right now.

The next few days were hard for them, Liam mostly stayed by Fallon but there was the odd time he needed his own space to process everything that was happening. He never left her alone though; she always had a member of the family around. Though, The Manor was one of the safest places for them to be right now with all the extra security, it wasn’t the quietest place to live. Any sudden or loud noises would make Fallon jump and if she wasn’t already touching Liam in some way she would look around for him desperately seeking the comfort he brought. The first time she got spooked when he wasn’t there was the worst.

* * *

_Fallon was relaxing in the den at The Manor. This was quickly becoming one of her favourite rooms to spend her days in. It had an open fireplace, a view out over the lake, and was positioned away from where the busiest parts of the house were, which meant it was quieter and allowed her to relax more easily. She spent her days watching a small amount of TV, sending off the odd email for her company - she couldn’t not work as she hadn’t prepared the company for her to leave, but her staff were doing a good job in her absence. She mostly just needed to sign off on things. Liam was only letting her work half an hour per day maximum, which was okay with Fallon. As much as she loved to work it always reminded her of the attack._

_She was sitting curled on one of the sofas reading while Sam sat on another on his laptop, making sure everything was running smoothly at La Mirage. Liam had gone out for a run. He was getting restless not doing much everyday so Fallon had made him go out for a bit, but he promised he wouldn’t be long: a twenty-minute run then a quick shower. For Fallon, it was nice to have a short break from being with him for Fallon. She didn’t want to be away from him for long but spending 24/7 together was a bit much for both of them._

_The staff was bringing in lunch for the couple to eat in the den, and although it was a common occurrence that their meals were brought to them, Fallon wasn’t comfortable being around too many people yet and this meant she could take her time to eat. Or rather, Liam could spend longer coaxing her to eat more food._

_Some of the main staff was away on holiday so they had a few temps in at the moment, and they weren’t quite as good as the normal staff. This was only proven as the lunch was brought in, as the member of staff wasn’t used to the doors to the den. They were the big heavy kind that swung shut on their own if you didn’t stop them, and for the most part this was great for the room as it helped to block out the noise. But in this case not quite so much. The member of staff had opened the doors and started to pull the trolley of food through when the door swung shut, pulling the trolley with it. When the trolley hit the other door, it caused a loud bang and sent the plates flying. With every plate that hit the ground, a loud crash followed._

_As soon as the noises started Fallon dropped the book she was reading, and her head flipped to look at the door. Panic started to rise in an instant. In her mind, she was back in the office, defenceless. Breaths started to get caught in her throat, not quite making it to her lungs no matter how hard she tried. Her eyes looked round the room, searching for Liam even though she knew he wasn’t there. Sam was by her side in an instant, trying his best to help her._

_“Fallon it’s okay, it was just the door and some plates. You’re at home and safe,” Sam spoke to her, shooting evil looks at the member of staff who was stood there flustered, not sure what to do. As no air made its way into her lungs, Fallon desperately tried to claw at her chest - anything to try and breathe._

_“Liam” She managed to wheeze out, knowing he was the only thing that could help right now._

_“You heard her. She needs Liam, go get him!” Sam ordered the member of staff who quickly made his way out of the room to search for Liam. In the few minutes it took to find him, things escalated for Fallon and Sam. Sam was doing his best to try to calm Fallon down but she was past that point. She had managed to work herself up to the point that she could no longer process any of the words Sam was saying. She couldn’t seem to get any proper air into her lungs and the image of a baseball bat flying at her was playing over and over in her mind._

_Once Liam was brought into the room he instantly went to her side taking over for Sam, who walked over to the door where the rest of the family had gathered after hearing what had happened and wanting to make sure Fallon was okay._

_“Come on guys, let’s give them some privacy, I’m sure Liam will shout if they need anything,” Sam said, leading the family away._

* * *

Since then they had come up with strategies that enabled her to keep calm whilst someone went to find Liam who always came running. This strategy was a giant teddy bear, Snuggles, from Liam’s childhood, that up until now was stored in the attic of The Manor. He hadn’t wanted to get rid of it; it was one the last things he had from his childhood. Snuggles now wore one of Liam’s hoodies and lived in their bedroom, or wherever Fallon was spending that day, and was big enough and smelled enough like him that it enabled her to keep calm in the time that it took for Liam to get to her side.

The dreams hadn’t stopped and more often than not happened more than once a night, but Liam was always there to help wake Fallon up and calm her down. Stopping the prescribed medication for the most part had helped slightly, and with the fog gone Fallon was at least able to distinguish between dreams and reality quicker. Even when they were all just relaxing, Fallon wasn’t herself, she was withdrawn, barely spoke and would only eat small amounts of food, claiming that her stomach hurt and it made her feel sick.

As her concussion started to ease, she was allowed more screen time and was able to go for short walks around the gardens, but she wouldn’t leave without Liam by her side. Physically she was still in pain, but it was easing. The biggest scars that remained were mental. So far, the police had no clue who had done this but claimed to be getting closer. Everyone was hoping that the therapist who was coming to the house later that day would help her start to heal the mental portion of the injuries. After all, mental health is the same as physical health but you just can’t see it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys, I hope you enjoyed chapter 4. I have to say a big thank you to @LNHWrites for betaing this for me. You should go check out her stories if you haven't already.


	5. Chapter 5: Talking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallon finally starts to talk about what's going on in her mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for longer update time, I've had exams for uni so my focus was on them. Hope you enjoy the chappter.

Today was the day, the therapist was coming by to talk to Fallon. The past few days had been difficult, both physically and mentally draining for Fallon and Liam. Her physical injuries were mostly starting to heal well. The pain was very minimal for what it could be, and her head felt a lot better now that the concussion was mostly healed. The rest of her body was still sore, but the pain was manageable now. Mentally she was still struggling. There was just something about that night she couldn’t get over.

“You ready for today?” Liam asked Fallon, hoping to break the silence they had been sitting in for most the morning.

“I just don’t see how its supposed to help, I’ve been to therapy before and it didn’t do anything.” Fallon replied. How was baring her soul to a complete stranger supposed to help. It was also the first time she would be alone with a stranger since she woke up.

“Just give it a try you never know what’s going to happen. I’ll be near by so if you need me I’ll be there, and you get to keep Snuggles,” he replied trying to ease some of her nerves.

“I’ll try, for you, and for me. You know, if it does work,” Fallon said. Liam could tell that she didn’t want to talk much. Hopefully, she would talk to the therapist once they got here. It wasn’t too much later when Blake walked into their room.

“Kendra’s here. We thought the den might be the best place for you guys. If you want to go somewhere else that’s fine too.” Blake informed them.

“The den is fine, I’ll be down in a minute,” Fallon replied. Blake nodded before leaving the room. Fallon took a few shaky breaths to calm herself down. It took a lot for her to open up to someone and knowing that was the whole point of this scared her slightly. Liam walked over and pulled her into his arms.

“Remember I love you no matter what, and I’m proud of you,” he reassured her. She leaned up and captured his lips in a soft kiss in response. He understood everything she was trying to say. That she loved him too and was thankful to him for being there for her. When they broke apart, he took her hand walked down to the den room with her, giving her another quick kiss before opening the door for her. True to his word, once she was in the room he moved over to a sofa; he wouldn’t be able to hear the conversation in the room but was close enough if needed.

“Hi Fallon. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Kendra, I’m a qualified psychiatrist and therapist. Today’s session is just about me getting to know you a little. Everything you say stays between us and there’s no pressure.” Kendra introduced herself.

“Erm okay thanks,” Fallon was unsure of what to say. She’d had therapy when she was younger, but that was very different. It was something she had done to control her emotion when Alexis left but that was mainly anger, not panic and trauma.

“Why don’t you tell a little bit about how you have been feeling lately?” She prompted seeing that Fallon was unsure of what to say next.

“I was good up until everything that happened. Since then I guess worried or scared would describe it. I keep feeling like someone is watching me, waiting in the shadows almost. It’s like someone is waiting to jump out at me,” Fallon tried to explain. It was hard to properly articulate everything she was feeling. Though she had spoken to Liam about it, he knew what she meant without her having to say it so many words. Kendra didn’t know who Fallon was as a person and couldn’t read between the lines of what she was saying properly.

“Okay, so you’re worried that the person who attacked you is watching you waiting to do it again. That is a completely natural reaction to something like this especially when it happens somewhere that you are comfortable or spend a lot of time. Why don’t you tell me more about what triggers these thoughts and when you feel safest?” Kendra pushed again sensing that Fallon was slightly uncomfortable talking about it all.

“I don’t always need a trigger, sometimes the feeling just washes over me. But I guess a big thing is loud noises. Whenever I hear one my mind thinks I’m back there then my chest tightens, and I can’t breathe no matter how hard I try. When I sleep, I keep reliving it, seeing his face, and feeling the knife against my neck. I remember feeling helpless and useless, like I was going to die. When I think about him coming back, I think he’s going to kill me. Why would he let me get away when I saw his face and could identify him? Or what happens if I do speak to the police and he hears about it and wants to get revenge on me for trying to get him put in prison? I’m scared that he is going to take the life I’ve planned for out of my reach.” Once Fallon started to speak it was like Pandora’s Box had been opened and she just needed to get everything out.

“Okay, and what helps?” Kendra asked, happy that Fallon at least seemed to be opening up to her.

“Liam mostly. His smell, him being there. When I hear his voice it helps me know that I’m not there and there is someone around to protect me. Its why we have the bear; it smells like him which means when he isn’t around, I can get some comfort. Being here helps this room makes me feel safe. It’s cosy and filled with good memories of my childhood,” Fallon continued. She felt slightly lighter after properly talking to someone about it all properly -- not just when she had panicked.

“Okay that’s good. Why don’t we go through some techniques that might help you slightly over the next few days? These should help you either whilst you feel like you can’t breathe or when you are thinking these things,” Kendra suggested.

“Sure,” Fallon replied, hopeful they would actually help. For the rest of the session Kendra went through exercises with Fallon, making sure she could do them and knew why to do them.

When their session was over Fallon thanked Kendra before walking out of the den and over to where Liam was waiting. He looked up when he heard the doors open and smiled as Fallon made her way over to him, opening his arms to allow her to sit on his lap. Fallon instantly curled into him, relishing in the comfort and feeling of safety he gave here.

“How was it?” Liam asked, placing a quick kiss on Fallon’s forehead.

“It was okay. She gave me some techniques to help I’m supposed to go through them with you at some point. But right now, I just want to clear my mind. Fancy a quick walk?” Fallon replied. Seeing the look of shock on Liam’s face she decided to explain herself further. “After talking I feel more relaxed and have some techniques to try keep it that way. Being in the house all the time probably isn’t doing me much good, so maybe we could try doing daily walks if I feel up to it.”

“That sounds wonderful Fallon. Why don’t you wait by the door, I’ll grab us some coats and shoes and meet you there,” Liam smiled, giving Fallon another quick kiss. They stood and parted ways both feeling more relaxed than they have in the past few days.

Blake saw Fallon and Liam leaving and took the opportunity to go speak to Kendra; to see if there was anything he could do to help his daughter.

“Kendra hi, glad I caught you. I know that what has been said in here is between you and Fallon, I’m not asking you to tell me it. I just want to know what I can do to help my daughter,” Blake asked Kendra hoping to get some insight.

“Your daughter is struggling I’m not going to lie. I’ve given her some techniques to use some to help question her thought based on cognitive behavioural therapy, others to help calm her down when she is panicking. It’s normal to have an emotional fallout after an event like this.” Kendra explained without giving anything away. It would take more sessions to get to the route of Fallon’s issues and how best to treat them.

“Okay thank you, for everything. Is there anything else you need before you go?” Blake replied wanting to make sure that Kendra stayed around to help Fallon as long as she needed her.

“No, I’m okay thank you, your hospitality has been wonderful. I’ll see you soon Mr Carrington,” Kendra said, collecting her belongings before being shown out of the manor by a member of staff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter. As always feel free to comment any thought you have.


	6. Chapter 6: A Lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallon and Liam find out more about the police investigation

Kendra’s techniques to help Fallon control her panic had worked. She was now able to at least calm herself down somewhat and depending on the circumstance, could even keep the panic at bay. This had enabled everyone to relax a little. The manor was fairly quiet as of late, with just the staff doing their daily chores, so the knock at the front door echoed through the house.

“How can I help you?” Anders asked, opening up the front door to reveal the two police officers that were handling the case.

“We’re here to speak to Fallon Ridley, regarding the case of the assault that took place at the Fallon Unlimited office,” one of the policemen answered. “Is she around? it’s important that we speak to her as soon as possible.”

“Of course, if you wait in the office just through there. Fallon will be down shortly to speak to you if she is up to it,” Anders replied indicating to the closed door that lead to Blake’s office. Once they were taken care of, he set off to find where Fallon was. Since the therapy sessions began, she had spent more time outside the den and her bedroom, which sometimes made it harder to find her, though everyone was glad that, mentally, she was doing better.

First, he checked the den and her bedroom, but she wasn’t in either. Sighing, he set out to search the rest of the manor. After ten minutes of searching, he found her relaxing in the shade by the pool, with Liam by her side. They were both reading their own respective books and enjoying some calm time outside away from the busyness of the manor.

“Fallon, if you’re feeling up to it, the police are back to speak to you. They are in the office. If you’re not ready, I can send them away,” Anders announced once he was close enough to the couple. Fallon visibly tensed at the thought of speaking to the police again. Instantly, Liam dropped his book and ran his hand up and down Fallon’s arm, trying to reassure her. She knew it was important to speak to the police, and she wouldn’t ever feel properly comfortable until they knew who did this.

“I’ll speak to them, just give me a minute,” Fallon replied, taking a few shaky breaths. Looking at Liam, she added “Stay close to me?”

“Whatever you need, Fal,” Liam said, placing a gentle kiss against her forehead. The walk from the pool to the office felt like an age. Almost like the stress of knowing she would have to speak about the incident once again left her detached from her own body. She felt like she was watching someone else in a movie, rather than walking herself. Once they reached the office she stopped before going in.

She stood and closed her eyes, breathing in for six seconds and out for another six. Each time she breathed in she tried to pick out something close to her that comforted her. This was something Kendra had told her to do before going into what could be a triggering environment. It helped to remind her where she was and that she was safe. Once she felt relaxed enough, she gripped Liam’s hand and took the few remaining steps into the office.

“Hello. Is it okay if Liam stays with me again?” Fallon asked the police officers as she walked into the room and took a seat in what would normally be Blake’s chair.

“Of course. We have a few questions to ask, but are mainly here to inform you of a potential development in the case,” one of the police officers spoke. Neither Fallon nor Liam were aware that there had been any developments in the case. The police had mainly been speaking to Blake or the family lawyers, as it took one aspect of stress away from the couple whilst they were dealing with Fallon’s physical and emotional recovery.

“What developments?” Fallon immediately asked.

“It seems as if there has been a series of break-ins to Atlanta-based magazines across the past few months. Every other time, nothing but money and details of the issue in development have been taken. This incident was the first time anyone had been hurt,” the police officers started to explain. “Have you heard anything about this?”

“I knew that something had gone on with some issues of other magazines, as I’ve taken on reporting on some events at short notice. But knew nothing about any break-ins. Do you know who it might be?” She asked.

News that this wasn’t a singular event had shocked both her and Liam. The fact that all the break ins could be linked might meant that whoever did this could strike again. This made them nervous, as who knows when or who they would attack next?

“We have some ideas but can’t release anything in official capacity right now until there is more evidence. However, we can tell you that we are bringing in some people for questioning over the next few days. Our biggest lead is to do with another media company; they have been struggling for a while now, which could be the motive. But as I said we aren’t sure, and it could take longer until we know who it was for sure.” This news brought Fallon and Liam both comfort and distress.

Due to Fallon being there and the multiple back ups she had of this issue, not only on the company hard drive but her personal one as well, they hadn’t lost anything for the magazine. The money in the safe had been taken but if what the police were saying was true, it sounded as if the company got off lightly.

“Okay that’s great, thanks for letting us know the developments,” Liam spoke up. He knew that for the most part he needed to stay quiet but thanking the police didn’t affect the interview and was just polite.

“We just wanted to check if there was anything else you remembered, since we last spoke to you in the hospital,” one of the police officers double checked. Anything that Fallon could tell them had the potential to aid the investigation, or even provide the evidence that was needed to catch whoever did this.

“It was definitely a male. He was taller than me and well built. I guess like Liam but taller. I would be able to recognise his voice anywhere, he sounded American, not local though. More like a New York accent. I never saw his face -- he had it covered, but his eyes are something else I would be able to recognise. He didn’t wear gloves so there may be DNA or something in the office, but I guess you’ve checked that and the CCTV footage. Other than that, I think I’ve told you everything that happened. He came in made me open the safe, when I tried to reach my phone to call for help, he noticed and attacked me.” Fallon explained again to the police officers. From what she could remember from the hospital she had told them most of what happened, just not what she explicitly remembered.

“That’s great, we may call on you to help identify him from a line up at some point. Is there anything you want to ask whilst we’re here?” The police officer started to wrap up the meeting.

“If you could start keeping us more in the loop, you can still share everything with Blake but if you could tell us as well that would be great,” Fallon requested. Now that she was feeling better, she wanted to be one of the first to know what was going on, especially as it sounded like they could be close to a breakthrough.

“Of course. If that’s it we have everything we came for today. It’s nice to see you recovering so well, Mrs Ridley.” The policemen said their goodbyes before being shown out of the manor by one of the staff.

Fallon and Liam stayed in the office for a minute, both collecting their thoughts in silence. It may have only been a short meeting but there was a lot to take in. Both were filled with a new hope that the person who did this would be caught soon.

* * *

Everyday life had started to return to normal at the manor in a way. There were no parties or large gatherings, only close friends -- but for the most part everyone had gone back to work. Even Fallon had started to work for a few hours a day, but always from home. Going back to the office wasn’t an option right now, as it was being redecorated and Fallon felt she couldn’t face it quite yet. Fallon had actually persuaded Liam to go out for a night with his friends. He deserved some fun and she didn’t want to stand in his way. Besides, she had planned a movie night with Sam, Monica and Kirby. It had been a while since she had spent anytime with them and this was a comfortable normal she could return to. Eventually they would be back at Club Colby or some other place hanging out, but for now it felt good to just spend time with them.

Fallon spent time that afternoon directing the staff around the den to deck it out, making it as cosy as she could. The normal sofas had been pushed back and replaced with bean bags, pillows and blankets. It reminded her of when she would watch films with Monica when they were younger. She had gotten popcorn and sweets for them to snack on. It was exactly what Fallon felt like she needed in order to relax and start getting her in the holiday spirit.

The night was nice. They started off with an old black and white film that Fallon insisted was one of the best movies ever created, before Kirby took over the remote and put on Christmas films. It was an inevitable turn of events for the night, but as usual Kirby and Sam were all for the cheesy romance, whereas Fallon and Monica wanted to watch some of the classics. Light-hearted debates resulted, but as normal, Fallon and Monica got their way initially before giving in to Kirby and Sam.

Three films in, the friends all started to get drowsy. Slowly the joking and talking grew quieter as they fell asleep on the bean bags in the den.

Liam panicked slightly when he got home and realised that Fallon wasn’t in bed, but the sight of her curled up using Sam’s chest as a pillow made his heart melt. Instead of going back into bed he chose to toe off his shoes and climb into the mess of pillows, spooning Fallon (and Sam in a way, as a result). As soon as he was settled behind Fallon, her unconscious form moved slightly to snuggle into his embrace.

In that moment, he knew that no matter what might happen, they would be alright in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are all doing well. In a time of turmoil across the world I hope you are all staying safe. I have set up a tumblr for this account under the same name Just_Doing_This_For_Fun, if anyone has anything they would like to see me write feel free to send me a message. Or if anyone just wants to talk. Thanks for reading, it makes me happy to know people are enjoying the stories I'm writing, see you soon :)


	7. Chapter 7: Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fallon tries to figure out her Christmas presents and talks to Kendra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating, I've started a new job so have been adjusting which meant not as much time to write and edit each chapter.

With all the craziness that had been going on, Fallon had completely forgot that she hadn’t got most her Christmas presents yet. Now she didn’t have much time to get them sorted. She wasn’t ready to go out to the mall again, especially without Liam, the world of online shopping was going to be a life saver this year. She wanted this year to be extra special, as a thank you for helping her through the past few weeks.

Liam was her first priority though, before she got attacked, she had set up a surprise vacation for just the two of them. Fallon had also got him a new watch and some clothes, but this didn’t feel like enough. She really wanted to get something to show just how much she appreciated him. The issue was Christmas was in a few days, so she really needed to get stuff ordered today. There was also the issue of she had a meeting with the police and another session with Kendra later; thus, didn’t have much time to come up with ideas and get them ordered to ensure they would arrive in time for Christmas.

She started to browse through different gift websites but it was only giving her ideas for other people. For the most part they were easier than Liam, their individual gifts were easy, but a big group present was also stumping her. What could she get that would benefit everyone, when they already had everything they needed in the manor?

All the stress and staring at a screen was starting to give her a headache. Though she had been getting better at thinking about other people, and that involved getting them gifts, she wanted these to be perfect and that was hard. Checking the time, she saw that she only had another thirty minutes to keep shopping. Racking her brain one more time she looked round the room as if inspiration would jump out and bite her. Her eyes locked onto one of the photo frames around the room, it was filled with photos of memorable moments from her relationship with Liam. The frame gave her an idea, smiling she turned back to the computer and started to order everything she would need to put the present together. It left her with only one present to think of, but she had no time left today, she needed to get ready for her session with Kendra.

So far, the sessions with Kendra had been helping. The panic was still there and the thought of going out by herself still wasn’t something she could face. In fact, she hadn’t left the house other than to go on walks with Liam since it happened. There was nothing physically stopping her, but the fear paralysed her. It was something she would need to get over soon as the police were getting more and more insistent on her coming to the station when they go over things. There was, only so many times they would come visit the manor for their meetings especially when they were getting closer to figuring out who did it.

Once she was ready, she headed down to the den, it had become the usual place for where they would have their sessions. In fact no one other than Fallon had used it in the past few weeks. Fallon had really started to open up to Kendra and they had been discussing lots about older issues that plagued Fallon as well as how she was dealing after the attack. Fallon wasn’t too sure what they would be discussing today as Kendra said they might do something different. It wasn’t too long before Kendra walked into the den and set herself up for their session.

“Hi Fallon. How are you feeling today?” Kendra asked in a greeting.

“I’m good, just trying to sort my Christmas shopping. I forgot about it with everything that had been going on,” Fallon replied smiling. Even though Kendra was paid to be there and be nice to her, she still felt slightly more like a friend than a therapist at times.

“I get that struggle; I always leave my shopping till the last minute then end up regretting it. Have you managed to get what you needed?” Kendra said making herself comfortable in the chair across from Fallon.

“Just about, just one more thing but I still need to figure out what it is. You said you wanted to do something different today?” As much as Fallon enjoyed the small talk, she was anxious about what Kendra wanted to do or talk about.

“Yeah, not necessarily do something different but I wanted to talk to you about something. After our conversations and your ongoing symptoms, I think you may have something called panic disorder. I’d like to talk it through with you,” Kendra started to explain. Fallon’s mind started racing hearing this.

“What does that mean?” Fallon asked playing with the hem of her shirt in order to keep calm.

“It’s a form of anxiety, often triggered by traumatic events, such as the one you went through. Symptoms often include anxiety and panic attacks which can overwhelm and effect your life. There are treatments, which I can through with you, but first do you have any questions?” Kendra tried to explain without confusing or triggering too much in Fallon.

“Yeah, how might this affect me?” Fallon was worried that this might change her daily life and if she would be able to keep running Fallon unlimited.

“People with this can live very normal lives and some even manage without everyday treatment. Once we found the right treatment for you, you should feel your panic and anxiety start to settle down. I know many people who live a very normal whilst living with this disorder,” Kendra reassured Fallon. It truly didn’t mean that anything about her life would have to change in the long run.

“Okay, that makes sense. You say the right treatment, what are the treatments?” Fallon questioned. Kendra mentioned that there were different options and she wanted to know what they are.

“Yeah, there are a few different options, one of which is continuing with our sessions. I’ll follow a technique called cognitive behaviour therapy, this should help you recognise these thoughts and be able to question and rationalise them. Another option is the use of SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These can help initially whilst you get used to the techniques of cognitive behaviour therapy, some people have to stay on them longer term others only need them short term,” Kendra continued to explain to Fallon.

“Okay I think that makes sense, sorry it’s just a lot to take in. I’m not sure what to make of it all,” Fallon said still getting her head around what she had been told.

“That’s okay, it can be a lot to take in at first. We can use the rest of this session for you to ask me any questions you may have, and I’ll tell you about a treatment plan I think could work for you. If you don’t have any questions right now that’s fine, you can call, text or email me at any time, and I’ll do my best to reply as quickly as possible. Or if you need to talk again, I’ll come back and see you as soon as we both have time,” Kendra offered. She knew that often patients needed a while after being told something like this before it would really settle in.

“Right thanks, could you maybe just tell me about the treatment. Maybe write it down too I don’t know how much I’m going to take in right now,” Fallon replied.

Kendra went on to describe how she would start Fallon off with a combination of a low dose of SSRIs and the therapy whilst things settled down. Then hopefully Fallon would be able to lead a normal life with just therapy sessions and anxiety medication as and when she needs them.

“Remember, if you need anything just let me know, I’ll be able to help even over the holidays,” Kendra said starting to pack up her things.

“Thanks Kendra, you’ve been so helpful through all this,” Fallon was genuinely happy that she was here, without Kendra she didn’t know how she would have got through this.

“That’s okay. Here’s everything I’ve told you written down; it should make it easier to explain to others if you need. There is also a prescription for the medication I mentioned, like I said I’m going to start you on a low dose then see if it needs increasing,” Kendra explained whilst giving Fallon a piece of paper with all the details on and a prescription for the SSRIs.

“Okay thanks, see you soon Kendra,” Fallon said goodbye, opening the door to the den for Kendra.

“No problem. See you soon Fallon,” Kendra replied before leaving the manor. She had been there enough to be able to find her own way to the den and back now.

Once Fallon was alone it truly hit her, she had been diagnosed with something that had the potential to affect everything in her life, even if Kendra had said that many people could live with it. Fallon had grown up in the 1%, so she was used to being part of the minority when it came to things. This also led her to believe she was more likely to suffer long term. Slowly, she made her way back to her bedroom, she knew Liam would be waiting for her there, wanting to hear how things went. But she didn’t know if she could fully talk about it right now. Hearing it being said was different to saying it herself. Nevertheless, she pushed forward to her room, she had promised not to keep anything from him, and she wasn’t about to break that promise. Hopefully, he would let her talk in her own time though.

“Hey. How did it go today?” Liam questioned her as she walked into the room. He could tell she was wrapped up in her own thoughts; something had happened that made her seem so distant. Whenever she got like this his worried, she would often end up turning to the bottle rather than talking, and right now he knew alcohol was the last thing she needed.

“Yeah good, I erm need to tell you something but can I have a few minutes to think first? I’m still wrapping my head around it,” Fallon replied walking over to where Liam was sat on the bench at the end of their bed. Once she got there, he opened his arms and she accepted his embrace, sinking down onto his lap.

“Of course, take all the time you need. I love you,” Liam said pressing a gentle kiss against her forehead. Just hearing the three little words coming from his mouth helped her to relax. She knew that no matter what she told him he would be there for her. The issue is she couldn’t think of how to phrase it. Every time she thought of something the words got caught in her throat and wouldn’t leave her mouth.

“Fal, are you sure you’re okay?” Liam asked again. He could tell there was something on her mind and he wanted to be there for her, but how could he if he didn’t know what was bothering her.

“Yeah sorry. I just don’t know how to phrase it,” Fallon said leaning further into his embrace.

“Why not start at the beginning. What did Kendra say then we can go from there,” Liam suggested. He didn’t want to rush her, but he could tell she wanted to talk just didn’t know how.

“Okay. So, Kendra said she thinks I have something called panic disorder. I think it’s a form of anxiety, she said it can be triggered by traumatic events.” Fallon spoke in almost a whisper. She was glad that someone else knew but getting the words out was harder than she thought it might be.

“What does this mean Fallon?” Liam asked, confused. He didn’t know much about anxiety, so he was confused as to what panic disorder was.

“Apparently its why the panic doesn’t seem to leave, why I don’t feel ready to leave the house and have been having the attacks. Kendra said with treatment people can live very normal lives,” Fallon tried to explain as best she could what she had been told earlier.

“So that’s good news, what does the treatment entail?” Liam wanted to know more. He would do his own research later but for now was happy to have what Fallon offered.

“There’s a type of therapy that can help and also a drug called SSRIs, I think they’re some kind of anti-depressant from memory. Kendra also mentioned that treatment can change as you learn to notice the thoughts or something,” Fallon continued to explain. She knew she didn’t have all the information, but this was the best she could do.

“You don’t sound hopeful that things will change?” Liam once again was able to pick up on her unspoken fears and question them.

“I guess, I’ve grown up with unlikely things happening, living in small percentiles, what if I can’t learn to live with this?” Saying it out loud both made Fallon realise how stupid it sounded but still couldn’t seem to get passed it.

“That’s something we’re going to have to work out as we go along. No matter what I’ll be here and so will your family,” Liam tried to reassure her.

“Thanks, Kendra gave me this with all the information on, and a prescription. Could you pick it up for me later? For now, we need to get ready for the meeting with the police. I think the lawyers and Dad are going to be there today so we can’t be late,” Fallon avoided talking about it anymore right now, and they really did need to start heading down soon. It was a busy day for her. At least she should have more time in the evening to finish her presents and process the day.

“Of course, I’ll go pick it up. I can’t get up with you sat on me though,” He teased her lightly trying to lighten up the atmosphere a little before their meeting with the police. Fallon smiled at him leaning in for a quick kiss before getting up to change. The relaxed outfit she wore this morning wasn’t in her mind suitable for the meeting this afternoon.

Liam and Fallon messed around, teasing each other as they got ready. It was nice to bring in a slight bit of normal to their life again. After being mostly serious for a few weeks it was nice to be bringing some light back into their relationship and who could blame Liam when reacted when Fallon reacts the way she did. Hopefully their meeting with the police meant that going back to normal was one step closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Any feedback is always welcome. I should have another one shot up sometime this week, slightly different to the last one though. Hope everyone is staying safe and well. :)


	8. Chapter 8: Finding Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The puzzle starts to come together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry that this has taken months for me to get together. I haven't had much time to write between a full time job and starting my third year project for university. Anyway hope you enjoy this chapter :)

As Liam and Fallon walked downstairs, she felt the anxiety building within her. There had been minor breakthroughs in the case but nothing since they were told it was probably someone from a rival media company. They had commandeered the green room for this meeting. It meant they could still keep it as private as possible, whilst still having enough room for everyone to sit down. As they got to the bottom of the stairs she reached out and grabbed Liam’s hand, to help ground herself and enable her to get through at least the start of the meeting.

When they reached the green room, she could see everyone else was there, there was only one seat left next to Blake and Cristal. Liam guided her over to it, sitting down before pulling Fallon onto his lap. One of the staff brought them both a glass of water.

“Now that we are all here, I guess we will get right into it. I’m sure you’re wondering why this meeting has been called,” One of the lawyers brought everyone to attention. Taking a quick drink for continuing. “I’ll let the police explain what we have found then I’ll discuss potential legal proceedings as a result. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask during the discussion.” When he finished speaking, he indicated for the policeman to take the floor.

“Right so last time we updated you we told you that it was likely to do with another struggling Atlanta media company. We can now release to you guys that we have found evidence to suggest that Atlanta Press is behind the attack on Mrs Fallon Carrington-Ridley, as well as the robberies at other Atlanta based magazines. This company has seen a drastic decrease in sales and subscribers in the past few years and especially since Fallon Unlimited started to gain momentum.

There is evidence to show in their financials that they have been involved in more than just the robberies. Their financial situation is better than it should be when taking their falling sales into account. All this has been investigated as well as the companies outgoing costs and their CEO’s outgoing costs. It would seem that their CEO Paul Martin had made several payments to one of Atlanta’s most notorious hitmen who, for the right price, will do any job. We have been trying to get enough evidence to put him away for years now and he matches the build you described.

Everything points towards this being the case and when we brought in Mr Martin for questioning, he seemed very flustered and wouldn’t speak much without a lawyer present, which all points towards the fact he is hiding something. So, for us the next step, if you wish to proceed, is a formal line up where we will ask you to identify the man who we think was hired to do all the robberies. From our side of it that is all we have to report, I’ll let someone else explain the rest,” the policeman finished walking back to his seat next to his colleague.

Fallon was shocked, she had hoped at some point they would have figured out who had done this but didn’t expect it to happen quite so soon. Atlanta Press and Paul Daniels had been someone Fallon had worked with in the past when she was just starting up Fallon Unlimited. He had seemed so nice then, she couldn’t believe that he would ever do anything like this.

Subconsciously she leaned further into Liam’s embrace seeking the comfort and support he silently brought her. She didn’t want to disrupt the meeting unless she had to but the thought of potentially seeing the man who did this made her feel uneasy.

“Legal proceedings depend slightly on your choices, Fallon can choose to stay anonymous in the charges being pressed, but with the press following this that would be hard. If you choose to reveal yourself once we have done the line-up and you have given a positive identification, we can start to build a case and press charges. We would be looking at just the robbery and attack from our side but if the other magazines agree to testify as well then it would be taken more seriously, and the charges could be more severe. If the everyone is happy, I will lead the legal proceedings with my team and keep you updated along the way. If you agree to these proceedings then we can get the line-up organised in the next few days,” the family lawyer explained to them opening up the floor for the Carrington family to give their opinion on everything that had been stated.

Fallon felt all the eyes on the room on her, she didn’t know how to react, the pressure to decided what would be the best course of action was getting to her. How was she supposed to know what would give them the best outcome in the future? Liam could sense her unease and pulled her into a tight hug placing his lips next to her ear so he could discreetly reassure her.

“You don’t have to decide now, that was a lot of information to hear and process plus what you found out this morning. No one here is going to pressure you into making decisions you aren’t ready for,” Liam spoke gently. Fallon nodded feeling instantly better as he spoke. She took a few shaky breaths before pulling away from Liam slightly and addressing the room.

“My initial thoughts on this are that I would like to press charges and do the line-up. Most people already know what is going on so I’m happy to have my name in everything and testify, no anonymity needed. But would it effect the case to do the line-up after Christmas, I need some time to prepare myself and get ready to even leave the house first,” Fallon said. She already had an idea as to what would happen if she were to press charges, and she didn’t want anyone else to suffer at the hands of the men that did this to her; so there was no doubt that pressing charges was going to happen.

“Of course, we could arrange it for the 29th of December, if that suits the family better,” the policeman replied. Fallon nodded before checking it was okay with everyone else, as it would interrupt holiday season a little. There was a chorus of agreement from the rest of the family who were happy to move at Fallon’s pace but also wanted the whole event behind them as much as possible.

“So that concludes the meeting, if anyone has any more questions feel free to email me and I will reply as quickly as possible,” the lawyer wrapped up the meeting and started to pack up his things.

Liam could sense how tense Fallon was now feeling and took the glass of water out of her hands, placing it on the table which was next to their seat before guiding her to stand. She let him lead her away from everyone else and out the front of the manor. Only when they reached the stables did she realise what he was doing. He had taken her to one of the places she felt happiest and had the best memories that was also completely private. Complete privacy was very rare in the manor.

Once he had unwrapped his arm from around her waist she went over to her old horse, Buddy. As she got older riding and caring for Buddy had become something she did less and less of. But the sense of comfort he brought her was unmatched by anything else. When she had been younger, and her parents were fighting, she would tack him up and go out for a ride with Steven. They had won many competitions in their prime including becoming the south east junior show jumping champions in 2009. Now Buddy was quite content with just the stable hand giving him a quick ride and being out in the field but the bond that Fallon shared with him had remained even with the time they spent together decreasing.

“Thank you. How do you always know exactly what to do?” She asked Liam after giving Buddy a few quick pats.

“Because I know you Fallon, I know what brings you comfort and as much as I wish I could have the effect on you that Buddy has, nothing helps you sort through your thoughts like him,” Liam replied walking over to where Fallon stood wrapping one arm around her waist and bringing the other up to pat Buddy’s shoulder.

“You help more than you know,” Fallon told him spinning in his arms to press a few quick kisses to his lips.

The couple spent a little over an hour in the stables, spending time grooming the horses. Fallon even mucked out Buddy’s stall, after she had stolen some more suitable clothes from one of their stable hands. By the time they walked back into the main house they both had big smiles on their face and were laughing at how Liam had narrowly missed falling into one of the water troughs.

* * *

Once back at the house, Fallon and Liam quickly walked up to their bedroom not wanting anyone to destroy their good mood. Fallon went straight to their bathroom to take a quick shower and get the smell of the stables off her skin. She was surprised when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist.

“Mind if I join you?” Liam whispered in her ear. Once she had recovered from the shock and heard his voice, Fallon leant back and relaxed against Liam’s chest.

“Nope, but no funny business. I have stuff I want to get done this afternoon and you have my prescription to pick up as well,” Fallon replied tilting her head to press a few quick kisses to Liam’s lips before pulling away to grab her body wash.

“I know, don’t worry I’ll get it. There’s a few things I want to pick up as well,” Liam grabbed his body wash moving round the large shower in such a way to not tempt himself. Hearing that Liam was going to be out for a bit longer made Fallon breathe an internal sigh of relief, this would give her more time to sort out her final Christmas present. That and she wanted to talk to some of the staff about setting up dinner in her room so they could have a date night tonight. Dinner a movie and some time alone was just what they needed right now.

After they had both finished in the shower Fallon went straight to the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of her sweats whilst Liam stayed in the bathroom to fix his hair. The combination of spending time at the stables and taking a shower meant it wasn’t ideal for being seen in public with. Once he was done Fallon was sat on their bed cross legged with her laptop in front of her.

“You need anything else whilst I’m out or are you good?” Liam asked grabbing his wallet and jacket from the seat at the end of the bed.

“I’m good thanks see you later. Love you,” Fallon replied closing her laptop slightly so Liam couldn’t see what she was researching.

“Okay. See you later. Love you too,” Liam said walking out of their bedroom.

Spending time at the stables had given her an idea. Growing up her family had gone to a dude ranch one year and it was one of Fallon’s favourite vacations from their childhood. She also knew that Cristal used to ride back home as well. Quickly she had formed the idea for them to go to a luxury dude ranch which would enable them to spend time around horses together and relax away from the drama that had been going on. She booked it for the summer so everyone would have time to book anytime of work, the weather would be nicer and hopefully the court case would be wrapped up.

Now that Christmas was fully sorted Fallon felt she could truly relax for a few days for the first time in months.


End file.
